


Kidnapped

by ramblesandshambles



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Caryl, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-08-12 18:28:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7944802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramblesandshambles/pseuds/ramblesandshambles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl father of a set of five year olds, accidentally tells the judge that Carol is his girlfriend helping him raise his kids.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_I've terrible writers block at the moment. Hoping I'm going to get out of my rutt._

 

_************************************************************************_

 

“The waters cold Daddy.” Five year old Molly cried as her father was using soap and water to try and wash her down. Her twin brother was standing beside her wrapped in a towel waiting for his turn in the truck stop bathroom. Daryl was on the final change of clothes for his kids. He had to find a laundromat and a place to live… and a girlfriend. Not necessary in that order either. The nights were getting colder and he heard that there was snow in the forecast.

 

“I know it is sweetness but we don’t want another note or phone call from school do we.” Daryl said quietly. They had been living in his car ever since he took his twins from the care of an ex girlfriend.

 

He had a phone call from Toby saying his mother was passed out and they were hungry. Daryl had shown up and she was drugged up to the eyeballs in the best with her latest partner both of them passed out. He took his twins, left a note sticking it to the fridge saying to her that he had the children and she was never getting them back.

 

He been in this small town for a few weeks and he had a job already, put the kids in school and the school had an after school care program so he didn’t have to pick them up until five. He then found a different place to park up every night to sleep. He never fell into a deep sleep always keeping one ear out in the dark nights even though the town they were in seemed to have a low crime rate, he wasn’t taking that much risk with his twins. He was getting money together and soon he would have enough to rent somewhere or a room or anything. A trailer in the trailer park.

 

Then today when the teacher called him on his cell phone to have a talk about hygiene and his kids. He had been slack about bathing them mainly because he didn’t have anywhere to bath them they hadn’t been bathed in over a week or more if he thought about it. They stayed in a hotel a few nights here and there. He was able to shower at work but apart from then they were using bottled water for washing and everything else. The school had sit down lunches so his kids had a sandwich for breakfast and dinner along with fruit and he hoped they were making good choices for lunch.

 

He really didn't like their teacher she was a busy body. He felt like she targeted him with questions every morning when he dropped them off into the class. He was worried she was going to keep some sort of file on him. She rang him on his cell phone while he was working on fixing an overflowing toilet and told him that he need to give his kids a bath and wash their clothes. She apologize for overstepping but she said she didn’t want to involve the school nurse and thought she would contact him directly.

 

In a way he was thankful that she did call him but he was pissed off with himself that he let things slip because the last thing he needed was anyone checking on him when he had no place to live or he basically kidnapped his kids.

 

He’d picked his kids up and headed to a truck stop that had a big lockable bathroom so he knew no one would be able to come in while he stripped his kids off to give them a sponge bath or sorts. He scrubbed the sink before he stood his kids in.

 

“Sit down in the water Molly.” He said. She was already shivering because it was cold. He had the hand dryer blowing and it was taking the chill off the air. She was starting to cry. He didn’t want to tell her he was going to wash her hair next. He managed to wash her all over as the crying and shivering overtook her ability to struggle against him washing her hair.

 

He picked her out and rubbed her dry and quickly. He put clothes on her as fast as he could and wrapped her in a blanket sitting her on the camping chair he brought in so his kids didn't have to sit on the floor. He didn’t know what else do do he couldn’t sneak them into his work showers because they were all open planned like high school gyms. Tomorrow he was going to look into the swimming pool into the family room showers. Take them there every night or maybe he could find someone willing to let him come and shower his kids.

 

“Ok Toby you are next.”

 

He was thankful the little boy didn’t have tears when he scrubbed him down. Daryl could tell he was trying to be brave. “I’m sorry buddy, I’m doing the best I can… we will get a house soon I promise.”

 

With his short hair it was quicker and easier, he eyed Molly’s hair wondering if he could cut it so he didn’t have to deal with the knotty mess. He was going to have to try comb it out before he sent her back to school tomorrow.

 

He’d let things slide, today he had gone to court to petition having full custody of the twins. His ex hadn’t even gone to the police. The Judge on the other hand wanted proof that Daryl could provide them with a good stable wholesome home. He was an old timer and before Daryl could stop himself he told him that his girlfriend was going to be helping him with raising the twins. The only problem was he didn’t know one woman in town that wasn’t married or the nosey school teacher.

 

He didn’t know why he even said it and now he had to come up with a woman to take with him to say she was going to help him. At this rate he was going to have to pay someone or something. Unless he could talk someone into it.

 

Toby was finished being washed and he dressed him also, he unlocked the door and moved his kids to the car. Molly started waving at someone, Daryl groaned as he saw it was their teacher.

 

“Its ok Ms Michaels…. I had a bath.” Molly blurted.

 

“I can see that.” She smiled at the little girl, she was looking hard at her birds nest of hair and she knew that Daryl had bathed them in the truck stop.

 

“Mr Dixon…” She smiled. “Can I speak to you a moment?” She asked him as she glanced in the car and saw it piled with stuff. It was clear they had been sleeping in the car. “You hope in the car kids its cold and I know the water at the truck stop isn’t that warm.”

 

The kids climbed in the car and both looked out the back window at them. Daryl reached in and turned the car on and the heat up. He handed Molly a comb and told her to try combing it out for him. He handed them a box of Crackers and a couple of bottles of water to drink. He told them to stay in the car while he talked to the teacher.

 

“You can’t tell anyone.” Daryl blurted. “They will take them off me. I’m doing the best I can but…” He pulled his jacket closer around him because it was starting to get so cold out.

 

“Can I help you?” She asked him, he eyes glanced towards to the two faces staring at her out the window. Her eyes were desperate because she could see the weather turning the the twins had disclosed to her that day they were living in the car and she took it upon herself to follow him until he come to a stop and try to approach him off school grounds. “I know a place.”

 

“We don’t have a lot of money.”

 

“Its not going to cost a thing.” Carol said. “I’m sorry but I followed you tonight because… Daryl… Can I call you that?”

 

Daryl nodded.

 

“One of the other teachers worked out you are living in your car so… they probably are going to look for you tonight… they are going to look at putting them into care.” Carol told him, she was bluffing but he didn't’ know that but with snow likely he had no idea what it was like in their town if it turned really bad.

 

Daryl’s face went white.

 

“We are fine, we are looking at a place tonight.” Daryl said. “We are fine… just fine.”

 

“Daryl it's going to snow tonight… if you find yourself not fine…” Carol pulled out a map out of her bag. “I marked down my house, just in case. I’m home all weekends. Please come… they are only little and it's going to be cold.”

 

“We don’t need charity!” Daryl looked almost defeated with what she was telling him.

 

“It's not charity, you just need a helping hand, let me help,” Carol said, she handed him a town map with the directions to her house, her phone number and to come at any time day or night she would be waiting for them. She gave the kids a wave and went home to wait for Daryl to come. She didn’t know how long it was going to take him to swallow his pride. She hoped it would be before the snow fell later that night.

  
Daryl watched her leave them and he climbed into his car and thumped his hands on the steering wheel. Both twins started talking at him at once asking why their teacher was there. He would probably go through a whole tank of gas tonight keeping the kids warm. He wondered if he should just go over, he looked at his daughter in the front seat who was trying to unknot the mess of hair on her head he reached out to take the comb and help her. He watched Carol’s car driving off and sighed.


	2. Chapter 2

 

Carol pulled out a tray of peanut butter cookies and stirred a pot of vegetable soup she had been cooking on the stove. She had the fire burning hot, heaters on in the bedrooms and new fresh sheets on the best put electric blankets on in all the beds. The snow was starting to come down thick now and she had turned on the outside light and peered out into the night. 

 

She could see car headlights down the bottom end of her road like Daryl was having an internal argument with himself about taking her up on her offer of a place to stay that night. At this rate she would have to take the tractor out and pick them up. She knew what that felt like she sat at the end of that road herself twenty years ago.

 

Twenty years ago she had left her husband at the tender age of nineteen with a one year old in tow she drove across state towards her granddad’s place. Her parents had told her she had made her bed so she had to lie in it. She remembered going to her granddad's farm but her parents had a falling out with him. He always had a soft spot for Carol so she took a chance and took the car driving towards the farm. She remembered sitting down the road with her daughter on her knee watching and wondering. A pickup stopped beside her and wound the window down.

 

“Carol honey, are you going to sit there all night or are you going to come up to the house?” Her granddad asked her out the window. She nodded and put Sophia back in her seat and followed him up to the farm. And she never left. When her granddad died he left her the farm and the house much to her parents disbelief they thought they were going to make a killing selling it but it was left to Carol in trust until Sophia left high school then it came out of trust and legally was Carol’s. 

 

Her parents were long gone and she was sitting on quite a nest egg. Her ex husband had not contested the divorce, Carol though he was thankful she made the move. He did follow her across state because he loved his daughter and they parented her together. Heck Carol still slept with him from time to time when she needed an itch scratched. So did a few other women she was sure. He never remarried and preferred to keep his options open. He was the local police captain, respected everywhere around town.

 

They were friends, best friends even or friends with benefits if that was an actual thing. Carol had been guilty of having him visit her bed on more than one occasion in the last month and a few months ago they even took their show on the road when they visited Sophia up at college spending the rest of the weekend in the high end hotel that they had booked. They were not a couple, they got on ok, they just needed sex from time to time and both were adults.

 

Abe Ford was the high school jock that everyone wanted to date and they were highschool boy and girlfriends until Carol fell pregnant. Then both sets of parents forced them into marriage to save their faces in the town they lived in. She never ever thought she would marry him and the moment they did Abe resented her and resented the fact he had to work and not go to college. Argument after argument erupted about it until Carol packed up and left. The pressure was to much because both sets of parents keep putting on ideals of what they wanted them to do.

 

Carol was on the pill now so they didn’t have any accidents and Abe now was considering having the snip because he didn’t want any more children with anyone. They had discussed it when Sophia was around eight if they should have another baby together but decided that Sophia was enough. Abe liked to be able to go do things at the drop of a hat. He would usually flick off a text if he was going out of town. And Carol was able to go on mini breaks with some girlfriends confident leaving Sophia with her dad. 

 

Friends thought their relationship was odd and it probably was odd to those who didn’t know them and really it wasn’t anyone else's business what they did. They didn’t go around announcing it or anything. Abe just stopped by sometimes at night. Or Carol flicked him a text. Either way it was a mutual agreement. 

 

But there was something about Daryl Dixon that caught her eye the first morning he brought his twins to her classroom. There was no denying he was handsome but she had those giddy girly butterflies like she hadn’t had in years. He was attentive to his twins and a man good with his kids was extremely sexy. She could see he was trying but at times he was floundering like a fish out of water trying to keep everything together. Soon the other teachers were going to notice that something was up. All she had to do now was wait him out. And if he sat there too long she would pull her tractor out and go fetch them.

 

She smiled when she saw the headlights moving and he finally drove up the drive. Her old dog barked as they stepped up on to the old wrap around porch. It had farmhouse boosted eight bedrooms that she rented out from time to time. She really didn’t need someone to share costs with her but sometimes she took in people who needed a hand up. Abe told her she was a soft touch but she had let him move in before when his rentals finished up, so she told him to mind his own business. 

 

She was also someone who had taken in older foster children in and children who needed emergency care. Abe never doubted calling her when they needed somewhere for people to stay.and at the moment she had no one staying with her. In fact she thought that maybe she was ready to give dating a go again but then she met the Dixon twins and their father and had figured out that they needed help. So dating was going to be put on the back burner again. 

 

The knock at the door didn’t surprise her when it finally came. She walked down the hall and flung open the door stepping aside and Daryl had a child in each arm and a duffle bag on his back. Carol reached out to take the little girl who was asleep still on his shoulder.

 

Toby was sound asleep also, Carol had no idea how he managed to carry them both but she didn’t say anything, just took in the muscles straining under his shirt. She just indicated that he should follow her. The kids were down for the night and she took him upstairs into one of the bedroom and she put Molly on top of the bed and went about stripping some of the clothes off her, she was cold but she would quickly warm up in the warm bed.

 

Daryl was stripping down Toby and he picked him off the spare bed and put him in beside his sister. Carol turned off the electric blanket in the bed the twins were sharing. She pulled up the covers over them and both kids turned into each other and kept sleeping peacefully. 

 

“They might wake up scared or something.” He said quietly, “I can sleep there.” Daryl pointed to the spare bed in the room.

 

“I have enough bedrooms but you can sleep wherever.” Carol said quietly as they left the room. Carol left the hall light on in case they woke up and got confused because they must have fallen asleep in the car.

 

Daryl looked around the hallway, Carol pointed down the end of the hall.

 

“That’s my room, that’s the bathroom” Carol said. “There is another three bedrooms up here and three downstairs plus another bathroom and there is another toilet near the back door.”

 

“You live alone?” Daryl asked her as he followed her and her dog back down the stairs. He tried to tell himself to stop checking out her rear view as she walked ahead of him because he really didn’t like her. She was an annoying busybody and he didn’t need someone like her knowing all his business.

 

“Why are you thinking about ripping me off?” Carol asked him, seeing the look on his face she laughed. “I’m a pretty good judge of character and I didn’t think that if I did I wouldn’t have offered you and your twins a place to stay… however I think you and I need to bring in some more wood from the wood shed at least to the porch because I think we will be snowed in tonight.”

 

He followed her through the kitchen then went to move his car to the car port she showed him out the window. After he did that he dragged most of their belongings into the kitchen. Carol was walking back and forwards with arm loads of wood, she was now dressed in gumboots and a snow jacket. The snow was really starting to settle thickly over the ground, it was getting so cold that he was thankful he took her up on the offer and wasn’t out in the cold with his kids. 

 

“How much do you think we need to bring up?” He asked her finally after they had made another five trips each.

 

“Well the power might go out and the snow sometimes gets really high, up to your waist if it falls heavily, so we don’t want to be going out in that. We have fire places in the rooms down stairs and we might have to bunk in the lounge if the power goes. So…” She gave him a smile, “Do you want to go out in the snow to get more wood?”

 

“No mam!” Daryl shook his head.

 

They worked together until their fingers were numb and Carol was sure they would have enough wood for three fire places for a week or even more if they shut off the bedrooms upstairs, but until the power went out they would use them. She had a generator which she had filled up earlier to run the lights and she loved to cook and heat on the old wood stove in the kitchen.

 

She led him into the kitchen and handed him a towel to dry himself. They were both freezing, Carol was starting to shiver. She was pleased of the company and was glad she wasn’t going to have to sit out the snow storm on her own.

 

“Do you have animals?” Daryl asked her he was wondering if they were going to have to go rescue animals next.

 

“Just Max…” She pointed to the do, “and Coco is around somewhere, asleep close to the fire or something, she’s a cat in case you are wondering. There are chickens in the barn. They will be in the hay and perfectly fine in the snow.”

 

“But it's a big farm is it or is the land around not yours?” Daryl asked.

 

“It has some land, I lease some of it to farmers on either side but at the moment its just me.” Carol said, “I need to go shower, you can use the bathroom down here, warm up, we might be using the old tin bath for the rest of the week,” She teased him.

 

He nodded and started looking at the bags of dirty clothes. Carol pointed to the laundry room and suggested he start doing his washing for the kids and him while he still could and she was sure she had a onesie her daughter had brought and old boyfriend that might fit him until he had something clean and dry to wear. 

 

The look on his face was priceless when she came back down stairs with a frog onesie and a pair of woolie socks. He shook his head and headed to the bathroom not before throwing a load of his kids clothes into the wash. He was surprised at the size of her washing machine it almost looked like a commercial one he could fit the two big bags of clothes of all the clothes he had to wash for his kids and there was still more room in there. He put the powder in and turned it onto a warm wash hoping that there was going to be enough hot water for both him and Carol to shower. 

 

He stripped off in the bathroom and hung the sleep suit on the hook thinking he  was going to have to wear the stupid thing and he was going to have to stay up long enough to do another load of laundry so he didn’t have to wear this outfit in the morning. As he showered he thought about his kids teacher wondering if he did the right thing by coming to her home, he really had no choice in the end. He had tried to get a hotel but there was nothing left, he could have taken them into his workshop smoko room where he worked but that wasn’t the best environment for them, plus it was freezing cold in there.

 

He really had no choice and she knew it. What the heck was she doing on her own with this huge house anyway. She should have a granny flat or something. How old was she anyway. He had all these idea’s running through his mind and he wanted to ask her a whole bunch of questions.

 

He pulled on the stupid sleep suit and he heard Carol talking to someone on the phone.

 

_ They are here, its fine. _

 

_ No he’s fine too, they are asleep, _

 

_ No you don’t need to come check, _

 

There was a soft laugh, and something he couldn’t hear.

 

He heard the phone click and her footsteps back to the kitchen. He was standing there with his dirty clothes in his hands. She could tell by the look on his face that he had heard her talking about him on the phone.


	3. Chapter 3

 

“Tyreese, it was Tyreese, wondering if you guys were ok.” Carol said naming Daryl’s boss at his work. “He was worried about you. He knew you were living rough with the kids and… he asked me if I would take you all in during the storm.”

 

“He knew?” Daryl ran his hand through his hair wondering why the man never said anything. He wondered if he was trying to tonight when he asked Daryl if he had plans for the night and he should stop by his place later. Daryl brushed him off as just something he said for no real reason except like asking someone if they wanted to come for a beer.

 

“Yeah… all the other guys finish at six and you finish at five, he saw you with your kids parked down in a layaway area, he worked it out.” Carol said. “Then I had the kids in my class… we know each other.”

 

“He your boyfriend?” Daryl asked, he glanced towards the door wondering the the man was going to show up here tonight.

 

Carol laughed, and shook her head. “God no…” She laughed again. “No… just… no.”

 

“Why do you have such a big house.” Changed his tacked with a little relief that Carol wasn’t dating anyone.

 

“I married young… I mean really young. I got pregnant at seventeen and married at eighteen and divorced by twenty. Sophia… she’s at college and since we moved here we have had a revolving door of people through the house who we needed to help. Foster kids and at times whole families. Tonight I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a few stranded people dropped off by the police.” Carol said. “Abe… my ex he’s the police chief and he brings by stranded people or emergency breakdowns or something.”

 

Daryl nodded trying to follow her train of thought. Carol had a ex in town and she was married young, and a daughter he tried to file it all away for later.

 

“Tyreese and his sister came through here about fifteen years ago, they were in their twenties like me, looking for a helping hand up.” Carol said, she gestured towards the kitchen table and he sat down. Carol filled him a bowl of soup and made herself one. She put her bowl down across from Daryl then she grabbed a bag of bread rolls and some butter and put it on the table. She handed him a spoon and a knife.

 

She sat down across from Daryl and started to butter a bread roll. He didn’t start eating but just sat there looking at her. She was more interesting than he originally thought she was.

 

“Ok, lets play a game… you can ask me one question… and I can ask you one question.” Carol suggested. “I know you have lots of questions and so do I.”

 

“All right.” Daryl nodded he knew what sort of questions she was going to ask him. It wasn’t like he had anywhere to be and it might help pass the time until he could go to bed, he reached for a bread roll. “How long have you been a school teacher?”

 

“Fifteen years…. I started after I moved here, Ty, Abe and Sasha helped me get through college with Sophia and here I am.” Carol told him. “The twins… they are yours?”

 

“Course they are… you wasted a question on that?” Daryl said. She nodded towards him to say it was his turn. “Why do you have such a big house?”

 

“I don’t know… My granddad left it to me… so it was free, but the upkeep has been rough… the plumbings about to go out.” Carol said glancing towards the roof. “Have you been married?”

 

Daryl shook his head. 

 

“How old are you?” Daryl asked, he couldn’t think to ask anything else.

 

“Thirty nine… how old are you?”

 

“Thirty six…” He said quietly, he didn’t know how old she was at all. He sat eating thinking of something he wanted to ask her. “Why did you follow me to the truck stop?”

 

“A hunch… something the kids said about the car…” Carol ate some more and looked up at Daryl. “Did you… did you take your kids?”

 

Daryl looked at her and considered lying and gave a slight nod of his head. “She was shooting up, I only had access at the weekends and Toby rang said they couldn’t wake her up. So I took them.... When I get a place I’m going to go to court and get custody of them… but I’m worried they might say no because we been living in the car.” 

 

Carol sat and nodded.

 

“I took Sophia… and ran… twenty years ago… I was nineteen.” Carol said. “Go to court after the storm and say you live here.”

 

He stared at her. A thought popped into his head, maybe he could get her to go with him and tell the judge they were living with her. He didn’t technically  have to tell her he told the judge he was going to be living with his girlfriend did he?

 

“I mean… you don’t have too… I just thought to try get things moving faster.” Carol said, she pushed a bit of hair back from her face she gave him a smile, “Tell them I’m a school teacher and an upstanding person.”

 

“Thank You…” Daryl couldn’t think of saying anything else. She was going to lie for him… or the kids… just to help him. How could he even pull off that he was living with her and he didn’t know anything really, and she couldn’t find out what he told the judge. It was the first time in weeks he felt like he wasn’t going to fall into depression.

 

There was a knock at the door, Carol glanced at the clock wondering who it could be. She sighed and went to see who was at the door.

 

She opened the door and her eyes were wide. “Hershel Greene… what brings you here?” Carol looked out beyond him seeing his wife in the car. 

 

“I hope you don’t mind Carol but looks like we been cut off from getting back up to the farm tonight. Can we stay and try go up in the tractor tomorrow.” The older man said, he shook off his hat that was covered in snow and glanced back to the car at his wife. Jo Greene waved from inside the car.

 

“Sure come in… go get Jo and I’ll make you a hot drink.” Carol shut the door behind him and leaned on it, Daryl was looking at Carol with wide eyes.

 

“What?” Carol asked

 

“He’s the judge… the one who’s supposed to be checking on me with the kids.” Daryl whispered.

 

“We will be fine. We will just pretend” Carol stopped what she was saying as Hershel tried to open the door.

 

At the same time Daryl was trying to say. “You don’t understand, he thinks your my….”

 

Carol glanced at the words falling from Daryl’s lips as the door opened and they welcomed Hershel and Jo into the house..

 

They come in covered in snow flakes, staring at both Carol and Daryl dressed like animals. Daryl was blushing like mad.

 

“This is… um Daryl and he’s living here.” Carol blurted.

 

Daryl nodded and reached out to shake their hands. Daryl come up and stood really close to Carol, Carol kept moving and he was standing close like they were dating and he was in her bubble. Carol kept staring at him wondering what he was doing. When he wrapped his arm over her shoulder when they were sitting on the couch she stared at him and focused on what Hershel was actually saying.

 

“Its nice to see you with someone like Carol Daryl. To tell you the truth I thought you might of been lying to me today when you said you were living with your girlfriend. Now I know you both are going to do a wonderful job with those little ones.”

 

Carol just smiled and nodded as did Daryl. Carol glanced up when the front door banged open and Abe Ford and the cop with him Rick Grimes come in covered in snow. Carol jumped up off the couch and went over to greet them, she whispered something to Abe as she took his jacket. He frowned at her words but nodded that he would go along with whatever she said.

  
Carol couldn’t believe it. Daryl had told Hershel they were dating and now they were going to be holed up together with the Greenes for a few days and possibly Abe, this was worst than being actually kidnapped.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys I've had a huge case of the 'Man flu' and havent been able to get out of bed or trust myself to post anything that wouldn't be gobbly goop

 

Abe moved through the house like he owned it heading for the kitchen with Rick and grabbing them both a bowl of soup and sitting at the table. They both were freezing and took the chance that Carol wouldn’t mind them stopping in while they were out in their 4wheel drives looking for stranded people. They had shut down the roads so no one should go past certain points but there were always stupid people about.

 

“What's the deal with the guy?” Rick asked Abe, “Carol’s boyfriend?”

 

Abe glanced out into the lounge through the opened door looking at Daryl who was sitting close to Carol wearing his frog onesie that Sophia had brought him as a gag a few years ago. Why the heck was he wearing it. 

 

He couldn’t hear what was being talked about but it was clear to him that Hershel knew who Daryl was. Abe heard a noise on the stairs that led into the kitchen, a little boy stood there with his thumb in his mouth dressed in all in one pajamas and stared at Abe.

 

“Where’s my daddy? Did you take my daddy away?” Came his little voice.

 

“No…” Abe stood up and went towards the little boy and he started crying because he was scared of the big policeman. “Shush now… daddy’’s just out there.” Abe picked him up anyway and carried him out to the lounge. The little guy was going to try and hit Abe but he held his hand so he couldn’t.

 

There was confusion on the little boys face when he saw Carol and his daddy sitting on the couch, Daryl flew to grab him before any words tumbled out of his mouth.

 

“Shush now… me and Carol will get you back to bed.” Daryl said quietly. He wanted to hold a hand over his mouth so he wouldn’t ask questions why they were not in the car and where were they, his little eyes lit up when he recognized Carol coming across the room towards him.

 

“Daddy?” A little girl's voice started to cry and Daryl looked up seeing Rick with his daughter, Carol walked over and took her from Rick excusing them all from the lounge to go upstairs and try get the little ones back into their beds. 

 

“To close… to close.” Daryl whispered as he followed Carol up the main stairs.

 

Carol wasn’t listening she was trying to shush Molly from blurting out what were they doing at her house. She was talking over the top of the little girls questions.

 

They had them in the bedroom and shut the door, Daryl sat with Toby on his knee trying to stop the questions. Molly was cuddling into Carol and looked very happy to be on her lap. Daryl could see both his children seemed to really like Carol, that was a bonus in the whole situation that they kids did like her so he didn’t have to convince them that staying at Carols was going to be fun, both kids looked happy as punch when he told them.

 

“Shush now, we are going to be staying with Carol for a while, its ok, we live here now.” Daryl told them.

 

“With Mrs…” Molly started saying.

 

“Really…. Really?” Toby asked his dad.

 

“Carol,” Carol corrected, last thing she needed was the children using her full name in front of Hershel. “Call me Carol sweetie, you and Toby and daddy are going to stay in my big house together.”

 

“Yes, really.” Daryl said. “Now you really really need to go to sleep because its snowing and there’s going to be no school tomorrow. We can build a snowman if its not up to our necks.”

 

“Really?” Molly and Toby said. “We can live here?”

 

“For now, until we get our own place, but we don’t have to live in the car no more, but we need to keep that a secret remember.” Daryl said. “We don’t tell people that.”

 

“We told Carol.” Molly said.

 

“It’s ok, we can tell Carol… but we need to sleep now ok.” Daryl gave them a cuddle and a kiss. Carol leaned in to hug them all then wished them good night telling them she was going to sleep just down the hall. They both snuggled down to sleep with smiles on their faces.

 

Daryl stopped down the hallway to thank Carol for being so kind to his children.

 

“I can’t thank you enough.” Daryl said, “I should of asked for help earlier.”

 

“Daryl, I’ll help you with everything and everything.” She said as they went back downstairs to see everyone else. She could see Abe’s eyes tracking her as she come down the stairs. She gave him a tight smile.

 

Rick was getting ready to leave he was saying goodnight to everyone and he asked Abe if he was coming. Abe shook his head that he wasn’t coming. He was going to stay and see if he could figure out what was going on with Carol and the small family she had staying with her. He normally was told when she took on foster kids, she hadn’t taken on a whole family for a long time.

 

Daryl stretched and looked around. He was ready for bed, Carol was escorting the Greenes to a downstairs bedroom to sleep. Daryl went into the kitchen to grab a drink to take up to bed.

 

“So… Daryl. How long have you known Carol?” Abe followed him into the kitchen.

 

“She’s the twins teacher… so since we got here,” Daryl told him, he didn’t know what else to say, she knew he was Carol’s ex but they could still be a thing or they could just be friends. Daryl just couldn’t put his finger on it. Every ex he knew never wanted to know each other again but wouldn’t even stand to look at them again yet Carol didn’t seem to mind when Abe just walked into the house. 

 

They stood there staring at each other sizing each other up until Carol walked into the kitchen and walked between them. 

 

“Oh for goodness sakes Abe… go to bed.” Carol said.

 

“Yes mam!” He winked at Daryl and headed upstairs.

 

“Are you two?” Daryl asked.

 

“To be honest… sometimes… not often but we are not together or anything. But a girls’ got urges you know!” Carol said. “Why?”

 

“Just wondering…. That’s all.” Daryl said, he turned off the light as he left the room, he stopped picking up his laundry taking it all upstairs as he went. Carol went into her bedroom and he could hear her talking to Abe as she shut the door. He could hear laughter and felt a surge of jealousy he never experienced before. 

  
He slipped into his own room with the kids and didn’t see Carol shoving Abe out of her bedroom down the hall into the room he always used when he stayed there. She knew he went into her room to have some sort of pissing competition with Daryl and she wasn’t going to be involved with it.


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl woke to giggling and someone stumbling up the stairs and someone saying “Shit…. Shush,”

 

He climbed out of his bed pulling on his pants and went to see what the heck was going on. He opened the bedroom door to see a black man in his late teens or early twenties trying to manhandle a girl into one of the bedrooms. He didn't know what was going on or who they were but it was clear that she was drunk and no drunk girl was going into a bedroom with a guy... not on his watch anyway. 

 

“Shush Sophia… your mom will hear us.” The guy whispered.

 

“Noah… you are such a party pooper…” She looked up with blue eyes at Daryl who was standing in his jeans shirtless in the hallway about to ask what was going on and who were they. He was going to read them the riot act if they woke his kids up.  “Who are you? Are you here banging my mom? Mommy has good taste in men because you’re ripped…. Ripped...”

 

“Sophia… stop it.” Noah said. “Old people don’t bang…”

 

“Yes they do…. Are you banging my mommy Mister?” She slurred. "I like your tattoo's .... you should get some Noah."

 

“Daryl… do you need a hand? I could get her mom.” Daryl asked as the girl slid to the floor. Carol’s bedroom door opened and Carol come out in pj pants and a tee shirt. Her hair was all over the place and her face was all mushed like it had been pressed up against her pillow. She didn’t look impressed with either of the couple in her hallway especially the girl on the ground.

 

“Has she been drinking?” Carol asked Noah.

 

“Just a little bit mommy, I met your boyfriend, he has a banging body.” Sophia said from the floor, Noah tried to put her hand over her mouth to stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth.

 

Daryl crossed his arms across his chest as Carol glanced at him. She couldn’t help the tinge of red creeping up her neck and face that he did have a ‘banging body.’

 

“Sophia you need to keep it down because if your daddy catches you in this state he’s not going to be happy.” Carol said quietly. “Have you been drinking too Noah?”

 

“Yes mam!” Noah said looking at the ground.

 

Daryl stood there in only his jeans wondering what he should be doing, Sophia was lying on her back giggling on the floor and Noah tried to pull her up again and fell on the carpet himself and laughed. He toed the boy with his bare foot and Noah stopped laughing.

 

“How did you get here… you better not of driven.” Carol said in a low tone.

 

“Officer Rick Grimes was at our service… and dropped us off here and said good luck.” Sophia said from the floor.

 

“Ok Sophia you are with me in my room and Noah… you can take Sophia’s room because if her daddy catches you in bed with her again I don’t want to be in your shoes.” Carol said. She pulled Sophia up off the ground and shoved her into the bathroom to use it before coming to bed. Noah went into Sophias room and they saw him fall onto the bed without taking off his shoes.

 

“How old is she?” Daryl asked Carol.

 

“She’s twenty two but Abe still thinks she’s twelve. She and Noah have been together for about three years, they share a dorm room, so it's not like they don’t… you know... But Abe doesn’t know.” Carol whispered.

 

“Abe doesn’t know what?” Abe stuck his head out the other bedroom door and saw both Carol and Daryl standing there in their state of undress and wondered what they stumbled upon.

 

“Nothing… Sophia arrived home and I said ‘Abe doesn’t know she’s here… that will be a nice surprise.” Carol said.

 

“You are such a bad liar.” Abe said. “Whats happening.”

 

“Nothing… they are just cold from the snow and Soph…”

 

“Daddy…” Sophia come out of the bathroom and saw her dad and stumbled towards him. She went to wrap her arms around him to hug him. “I missed you.” She said as she missed the hug and started falling to the ground. Abe just caught her before she hit the ground.

 

“She’s plastered.” Abe said to Carol as he pulled her up.

 

“I know and we have Hershel Greene downstairs and Daryl’s here… god this is one big mess. Get her into my bed.” Carol whispered.

 

“No where’s my No No?” Sophia asked. “Noah?”

 

“That boy here?” Abe hissed at Carol, Daryl stepped forward to help Abe get Sophia into Carol’s bed, they left her lying on the top of the bed complaining that she wanted to sleep with Noah and why was her dad and her mom’s boyfriend carrying her into her mother's bed until Carol shut the door behind her and muffled Sophia’s words.

 

“Shes legal… Abe she’s twenty two, just go to bed and I’ll talk with you in the morning. Daryl can you help me get Noah’s shoes off at least please.” Carol pointed for Abe to leave and Daryl to help her, she knew Abe might drop Noah on the floor or something.

 

“I’m sorry about that. I don’t know why she said that to you.” Carol said to Daryl.

 

“It’s fine… my brother gets drunk and you should hear the shit he says.” Daryl said as he pulled off Noah’s shoes and socks. Noah had his belt undone and Daryl tugged at the bottom of his pants to get his jeans off. He would have left them on but they were wet. Carol pulled off his shirt and they tucked him in like a five year old instead of the twenty four year old he was.

 

“She still shouldn’t have said that about you and your body… she… I don’t know.” Carol said looking at him realizing he was still only in his pants. “Its very nice… Christ… I don’t know why I said that. I need to go to be. Night Daryl.” And Carol was gone really fast, he heard her bedroom door shut before he left Noah’s room. He yawned, then used the toilet himself and headed back to bed hoping he made it to morning without anymore visitors.

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

 

Toby was turning around and around in front of the mirror naked in the bathroom. Daryl was on his knees filling the bath to actually give his twins a full bath and clean up before they faced Hershel downstairs.

 

“Why can’t you lick your back dad? Is it because your neck isn’t long enough?” Toby asked him look over his shoulder at his back in the mirror.

 

“Hmmm… yeah…” Daryl said not really giving it much thought.

 

“I can lick your back though,” Molly went to lick him.

 

“Don’t lick your brother!” Daryl growled at her, adding it to the long list of phrases he never thought he would say. “Get your gear off and pee, then get in the bath,” 

 

Daryl had filled it with some bubble stuff Carol had and hoped it wasn’t super expensive that he would have to replace it. Toby was still spinning in the mirror, Daryl was sure it was because his penis was flinging out because that was what he was staring at as he turned around.

 

“Your heads the most important part of your body aye dad? Cos if it fell off you wouldn’t be able to breath?” Toby asked him still staring at his boy bits. "Except your lungs... cos they help you breath too aye dad... I can hold my breath like this." He took a big breath in and held it until he couldn't hold it anymore and let it go. Daryl was over worrying if he was going to pass out from doing that knowing in his mind you would have to let your breath go at some stage.

 

“Yip… wouldn’t want to lose your head…” Daryl told him.

 

“Why haven’t we got a long neck like a giraffe then we could lick our backs?” Toby asked Daryl.

 

“Did you eat sweets this morning?” Daryl asked his son. Toby didn’t look at him and shook his head, it was a sure fire way to tell he was lying. “Did you eat the sweets out of the bag?”

 

“No…” Toby looked at the floor.

 

“I know you are lying… tell me the truth…”   
  
“He did he ate them all and didn’t give me none. He had them.” Molly told him from the bath. Toby frowned looking at her and making a growly mad face because she told on him. Molly stuck her tongue out at him and Toby stuck his finger up his nose and pretended to go get her with it. Molly started squealing about it, Daryl picked Toby up under his arms and sent him through the door into the toilet, then he waited for him to come back.

 

“Great just great.” Daryl mumbled as Toby started spinning in front of the mirror again. Daryl tried to ignore him as he washed Molly’s face and gave her a toothbrush. The twins could pretty much bath themselves now but being in a  new house Daryl thought he best supervise in case … well in case of extreme flooding of the bathroom. He stood up and looked out the bathroom window at the snow that was around the farm house. There was no way they were going anywhere today except  outside making a snowman

 

He left Toby getting in the bath to go grab some clothes to get them dried, Carol had come out of her bedroom and was yawning, she nodded at Daryl half asleep and went into the bathroom, the toilet was attached to the bathroom. Daryl come back with the clothes for them. Carol was wrapping Molly in a towel because Toby was being a shark and trying to bite her.

 

“Thanks.” Daryl said, he sat on the stool and helped Molly dry Carol stood there watching him.

 

“It seems like years ago Sophia was that tiny, now… god she slept like a star fish last night.” Carol told him. “Are we snowed in?” Carol looked out the window and saw what he saw moments before. “Right Molly Polly do you want to come downstairs with me and we can make some oatmeal for breakfast while Toby is being a shark?”

 

“Are you sure?” Daryl asked.

 

“Course I’m sure… if you are ok with it, I can help out with stuff, if you are going to live here we can help each other out,” Carol said. “We can certainly make this work Daryl… like roommates working together and helping each other out.”

 

Daryl nodded and Molly skipped off with Carol talking the whole way down the stairs that they were going to be making breakfast and she was the luckiest kid in the world. Daryl stuck his head out the door and watched them both climbing down the stairs. He felt bad for checking out her arse and for the fact he hadn’t told her that the judge thought she was his girlfriend. He just hoped that wouldn’t come up in conversation while they were all inside. Surely all he had to do was be near her and be attentive when she spoke and that would be enough. 

 

99999999999999999999999999999999

 

Daryl come down the stairs quietly with Toby after they were dressed to find Carol and Molly sitting at the table alone eating and talking at the kitchen table. Molly was asking if they could go out and play in the snow, Carol was telling her that at the moment the snow was too deep and they needed to wait till the sun warmed up outside first.

 

“Morning,” Daryl greeted them and poured himself a cup of coffee, he assumed he should just start helping himself now they were moving in with Carol. He probably needed to go to the store to get some food to help out and find out how much money Carol was going to charge them for rent or was it going to be board.

 

“Morning, help yourself to anything. I did a huge shop at the store yesterday so there is enough food if we get snowed in for two weeks, plus there is heaps of food in the freezer.” Carol told him.

 

“Thank you.” Daryl said. He served up Toby a bowl of oatmeal and one for himself.  “So what are we going to do today? Will the Judge and his wife be going home?”

 

“Hopefully…” Carol said, “We might have to get the tractor out or something.”

 

They were both thinking it that they didn’t want to be caught out in a lie with Hershel, Carol because they were making out that Daryl had been living there longer than one night and Daryl because Hershel thought Daryl was actually ‘living’ with Carol. If they didn’t get them out of the house Daryl would have to try make out like they were dating without Carol finding out and without her ex husband beating his head in.

 

They both sat eating with the twins both thinking over their own personal thoughts about keeping things from Hershel when the man himself made an appearance in the kitchen. 

  
“Morning…” He greeted everyone, Daryl groaned internally because he thought he would have the twins occupied doing something so they wouldn’t turn their full attention onto the new comer and tell him all the secrets. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry guys I have been a bit sick.

  
  


“Morning everyone,” Hershel greeted everyone. “Jo is just taking a quick shower,” He told Carol when she looked behind him to try see if she was coming, “I can get my own breakfast,” he told Carol when she went to move to fetch him a cup of coffee, “Morning kids.”

 

“Hello,” Toby whispered, still not sure who the man was, “Are you Santa?”

 

Everyone laughed but Molly looked at the man with his white beard wondering also.

 

“No I’m not but I know him and he said you have been very good this year.” Hershel told Toby with a wink, Toby and Molly nodded and looked at their dad nodding to him, Daryl nodded back that they had been very good.

 

“We have haven’t we daddy we didn’t tell anybody…” Molly started saying.

 

“More milk?” Carol talked over Molly, filling her glass up with milk, she raised her eyes looking at Daryl, she met his gaze and he looked like he was going to freak out because of what Molly was going to say.

 

“Maybe you can do some drawings now.” Carol said once the kids had finished their breakfast. “I’ve got pens and papers, and we have to get Abe up to go to work,”

 

“Abe’s already up…” Abe come down the back stairs into the kitchen, he’d showered and was dressed in his uniform. Molly and Toby hid behind Daryl scared of him dressed in his police uniform. “Its ok kids, I’m not going to bite you or anything.”

 

“They are just a bit scared of police,” Daryl said, “Their mom… she had a few late night visits from them.”

 

Carol glanced at Daryl and Hershel was watching them and Molly climbed onto Carol’s knee and looked up at Abe with her big blue eyes. Toby was still standing behind Daryl and peeking out at him.

 

“You kids are very lucky you are living with Carol now,” Hershel said to the twins, “It must be fun living here.”

 

“Yes…” Toby whispered from behind Daryl, Molly didn’t have a chance to answer because Carol distracted her.

 

“I never thought I would see you settle down again Carol, with the twins and Daryl its very nice to see.” Hershel said to Carol. Carol looked confused at the comment.

 

“I was very lucky to find her, and we were lucky for Carol to have us.” Daryl interjected quickly. “She’s a very special lady.”

 

Abe glanced from Daryl to Carol with his eyes narrowing and Hershel nodded in agreement. Daryl didn’t say anything else they just set the kids up to do some drawings at the table, Rick was picking up Abe and he could get Hershel and Jo up to their house in the emergency vehicle they would be patrolling the roads in.

 

Carol saw them all out of the kitchen and out the front door to wave them on their way to make sure everyone was actually leaving the house and Daryl and the twins could relax without the town Judge watching their every move. She did know that Hershel had seen enought that he probably would grant custody to Daryl.

  
  
  


“Well that was close,” Daryl said to Carol as he was helping her do the dishes, Carol was washing and Daryl was drying and putting them away.

 

“I thought he was going to tell everyone,” Carol said as she glanced over her shoulder at the children who were drawing at the table. Carol emptied the sink and then went and added some more wood to the wood burner in the kitchen. “Do you want to do the other room and I’ll go and see if Sophia and Noah are still alive.”

 

“I am sure they are alive….. They will have very sore heads I imagine.” Daryl said.

 

Daryl went through to the lounge to add more wood to the fire and looked out the window as more snow was coming down. He really hoped Abe and Rick managed to get Hershel and Jo up to their own house and didn’t bring the back because he didn’t think he could fake it with Carol for a whole week of being locked in the house with them. 

 

He saw the police cruiser coming back up the yard while he was standing admiring his handy work of putting wood on the fire, he also was avoiding awkward questions from Carol about some of Hershels comments,  both police officers were getting out and coming up to the house. Daryl groaned when he saw them coming.

 

“Why are they coming back here?” Daryl mumbled to himself and gave them a friendly wave as they come in the door. “Did you make it to the farm?”

 

“Yeah we did but the roads are blocked so we need to wait till the snow plow comes through so we can get back into town.” Rick said. Daryl just nodded and followed them into the kitchen. The twins were giggling at the table about something Carol had said and Carol had a worried look on her face when she saw Abe. 

 

Carol was trying to hide a drawing behind her back as the men came into the kitchen. No one else noticed but Daryl. The kids were still drawing at the table and swapping pencils and crayons back and forward to each other. Carol’s face was white.

 

“Can I talk to you a moment? In private?” Carol asked Daryl, he nodded and followed her into the lounge room. “Toby drew this.”

 

She handed him a drawing, Daryl glanced at it and screwed it up and walked over chucking it in the fire. He stood there watching it burn, Carol walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Is that why you took them?” She asked quietly, he nodded and they both looked at the paper burning with the childlike drawing of a woman and man lying in bed with needles in their arms. Toby had drawn the morning Daryl had taken them from their home and left with them.

 

“Yeah…” Was all Daryl said.

 

“I’ll help you keep them… I’ll do whatever it takes…” She said quietly.

  
“Will you come to court with me… tell them officially we are living here?” Daryl asked. Carol nodded and agreed she would come.


	8. Chapter 8

  
  


The snow cleared and Daryl and his kids settled quickly into Carol’s house. The twins were right at home running about the house up and down the stairs playing tag no matter how Daryl tried to stop them. Carol said it was ok.

 

Abe and Rick left and Sophia and Noah were mooching around the house somewhere complaining about the cold and they were on holiday from school for another week. Abe had told Noah he better keep his hands of his daughter and Carol had told them all to settle down.

 

Daryl was worried because the next day was the day he was due to go to court to try for full custody of his twins. The school had reopened and the kids had gone into school with Carol and she said she was happy to bring them home from the after school care program when she left her classroom. The kids were still going to go there because Carol had meetings after school and her class program to keep on top of.

 

She also agreed to meet Daryl at the courthouse to meet the judge to try for full custody. She had a sub coming into her class so she could have time out of there. She walked up the court steps and smiled when she saw Daryl standing there. He looked nervous and was wringing his hands when she came up.

 

“Hi… sorry I’m late.” Carol said looking at her watch, she was five minutes late but they were not due in court for twenty more minutes.

 

“Carol I need to tell you something.” Daryl said with a rush.

 

“I don’t mind saying you were with us for longer than you were Daryl.” Carol said, she took his arm and half dragged him through the main doors because he looked like he was frozen to the spot he was standing in, just through the doorway they saw Hershel heading towards his rooms. He saw Daryl and Carol coming through the main doors and he nodded his head towards them. 

 

“Carol I need ta explain.” Daryl said again before Carol walked into the courtroom to wait for Daryl’s case.

 

“Whats up…”

 

“Um…” Daryl run his hand through his hair and over his face and looked at her. “Hershel… he might think we are…. Um living together…”

 

“We are…” Carol said. She caught a look on his face, “OH…”

 

“I’m sorry.” 

 

She stood there shocked he just let it slip that he had told Hershel that they were together. Caro couldn’t believe it. It made a lot of sense after what happened when everyone was at the house during the snow. Daryl was close to her when he was about. It all fell into place now some of Hershels comments about Daryl and the twins. She shook her head at him wondering what she could do now.

 

“You lied… to Hershel and to me?” Carol looked shocked that he had done that and in her home. Lied to everyone.

 

“I’m sorry… I was just trying to keep my kids. He looked down on me being a single dad and it just come tumbling out.” He told her.

 

“You lied to me… and moved in knowing he thought we were a thing!” Carol said.

 

“I didn’t know when I told him that you were going to ask me to move in with you. I didn’t know he knew you. I didn’t know anything like this was going to happen or he would be staying at your house. I’m sorry… I’ll tell him I lied and we are just flatmates.”

 

“It’s ok… its ok… we will talk about it when we get home, right now we just need to try get you your kids. You are a good dad, and trying your best, I can see that so whatever works….” She took his hand and walked into the courtroom holding his hand because Hershel was in the courtroom.

 

He called them up it was just Daryl his lawyer, a court clerk and Carol. Hershel was looking through his notes and waved Daryl forward with his lawyer. He talked to Daryl briefly and Daryl's head went down. His shoulders slumped.

 

Hershel reached out put his hand on his shoulder, he looked up and nodded to Carol. Daryl’s lawyer shook his hand and it was all over in ten minutes. He left quickly with Carol and stopped on the steps on the way down the stairs. 

 

“He did a search to find out if their mother had been trying to access them. Turns out she died two weeks ago. Overdose.” Daryl told her. “They are mine.”

 

“Daryl I’m sorry…” Carol said. She put her hand on his arm.

 

“I’m fine… I wasn’t dating her or anything. We weren’t even really friends. She didn't look after the twins well and…” He shrugged trying to describe it without coming off as an asshole. “I just need to tell the kids they don’t need to worry about her coming for them.”

 

“Do you want me to be there? Or do you want me to go out?” Carol asked him.

 

“I don’t know. What do you think I should say to them?” Daryl started walking her towards her car. Both of them thinking about what they could say to the twins in the afternoon. They stood staring at each other. Hershel come out the back of the and waved at them.

 

“Kiss me.” Carol said quietly.

 

“What?”

 

“Kiss me… Hershels expecting it. He’s sitting in his truck watching.” Carol said.

 

Daryl leaned in and kissed her cheek. Carol grabbed his head and pulled his mouth onto hers and kissed him. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in close.  She kissed him deeper and then had to put her hands on his chest to stop what her body was thinking of doing against the side of her car.

 

“So you will pick the kids up?” Carol asked him.

 

“Ok, I’ll pick up dinner or do you want to take them out to tell them.”

 

“Daryl this is so fucked up… are you asking me out to dinner with your twins to tell them about their mother and dressing it as a date too?” Carol asked him.

 

“Is that bad?” Daryl asked.

 

Carol shook her head and climbed into her car.

 

“You want us to pick you up?” Daryl asked.

 

“We live in the same house silly.” Carol said out the window as she drove off.


	9. Chapter 9

 

Carol looked at herself in the mirror, she had taken a shower and she had tried on outfit after outfit. It was silly they were going to a burger joint with the twins. So really she should be wearing jeans and a shirt. She turned around trying to look at the back of her jeans in the mirror. They were ones she didn’t wear to school that often because she knew that men looked at her butt when she wore them. 

 

She pulled on a black shirt over a white tank top, she buttoned up the middle button, then undid it again, she leaned forward and pushed her boobs around in her bra and decided to leave her shirt open. 

 

She grabbed a jacket and left out of the bedroom looking over her shoulder to check if she truly did look ok in her outfit. She run into Daryl in the hallway he was walking out of his bedroom and glanced at her walking down the hall. He let out a low whistle when he saw her.

 

“Stop, its jeans and a tank top.” She laughed it off.

 

“It certainly is jeans and a tank top. You look good.” He said.

 

“So do you.”

 

“Stop, I just changed my shoes.” He said, she glanced down at a pair of ugly brown boots on his feet.

 

“Are they your favourite shoes?” Carol asked.

 

“Yes… why? Whats wrong with them?” Daryl asked her.

 

“Nothing… if you really love them.”

 

“Do you hate them?” Daryl asked.

 

“Well they are not my favourite pair of ugly brown boots but they will do.” She started walking down the stairs, he hung back watching her arse as it went down the stairs ahead of him. She glanced over her shoulder and caught him staring, he did have the decency to look embarrassed about being caught.

 

Toby was hanging upside down on the couch waiting for them and Molly was spinning in circles standing on the coffee table.  They were both singing at the top of their voices different nursery songs. Daryl was groaning at the noise coming from them.

 

“Get off the table.” Daryl growled at her. She leaped from the table towards him and he caught her much to her delight that she wanted to do it again but he held her firm telling her that little girls didn’t jump off tables and they were going out for dinner and she better not even think about standing on the table. Molly just flashed him what she thought was a winning smile and let him carry her out to the truck to go to dinner. 

 

Carol held Toby’s hand the whole way and discussed the menu with him as he was worried he might not like anything eating out. Carol knew the little boy ate pretty much anything so he would be perfectly fine with everything on the menu.

 

They buckled them into their seats and made the short trip into town being entertained by the two little voices in the back seat telling them about their day at school even though Carol was their teacher they had had a sub for part of the day. 

 

Once they were seated at the table Carol read the menu to the two listening little kids who’s eyes were wide open listening to what they were allowed to have. They made their choices and headed off to the play area. Daryl ordered for himself and a coke. Carol had a glass of wine and then they both sat staring at each other.

 

“So…”

 

“Yip…” Daryl answered.

 

“Are you going to tell the kids about their ma?”

 

“Maybe tomorrow.” Daryl mumbled.

 

“What if they ask?”

 

“They haven’t asked about her since we moved here I doubt they are going to start asking about her now.” Daryl said. “I think…. Maybe I’ll tell them tomorrow they look happy playing over there. Lets just forget it for tonight.”

 

“Are you sure?” Carol asked him.

 

“I don’t know. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.” Daryl told her. 

 

They were saved by any more conversation when their meals were brought across to the table. Daryl went and pulled his twins from the small play area to bring them to the table. Toby dissected his burger and Molly ate food from Daryl’s plate not eating from her own. Both kids looked tired by the time they made it through the kids conversation. They headed out just before the heavy drinkers came out for the night.

 

Daryl carried both children to the car after dinner, following Carol out to the car after he paid for dinner. He buckled his kids in the back of the car walking around it stopping in front of Carol.

 

“I had a nice time.” He told her. It just fun. Just hanging with his kids and with simple conversation, just hanging and smiling with the kids.

  
“I did too, I’m glad you have your babies full time.” Carol said, She leaned in to kiss him and he pulled her closer to kiss her better. They pulled apart quickly as Toby called out eww. About them kissing. 


	10. Chapter 10

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

 

Carol had gone into work to work on some reports so Daryl had the house to himself and his kids. He thought it would be a good time to talk to his kids about their mother. Even though the kids hadn’t really asked about her at all. They knew that Daryl had them full time and their mom couldn’t come and take them but they didn’t know about the fact that their mother had died.

 

He sat at the coffee table on the floor eating cookies and drinking coffee with his kids, they were drinking hot chocolate and colouring. He took the moment to talk with them.

 

“So you know how Daddy went to see the judge to see if he could keep you forever…” Daryl started, two pairs of blue eyes looked up at him looking worried. “Its ok, thats still happening…”

 

“And Carol?” Molly asked. 

 

“And stay here…. With Carol?” Toby asked as well.

 

Daryl knew both his children adored her but he needed them to stop talking about Carol for a moment and listen to him.

 

“We will talk about Carol later but I need to tell you about your mom.” Daryl said. “The judge said that she…” two little faces looked at him and look worried that she was going to show up at the door. “They told me that your mom died…. A few weeks ago. I’m really sorry.”

 

Toby looked at him then at Molly and bent his head down to keep colouring. Molly kept looking at him with her big blue eyes.

 

“Its ok to be sad about it… she was your mommy,” Daryl told them.

 

Molly shook her head. “I want Carol.”

 

“I want Carol too… I want Carol to be my mommy.” Toby said.

 

Daryl looked at his kids and they didn’t look fazed about what he told them in fact they were asking about Carol.

 

“Do you know what that means? When I said your mom died?”

 

“Yeah… like that mouse we found that was dead and you put it in the rubbish.” Molly said.  “It was dead.”

 

“And the rabbit that you shot for dinner.” Toby said. “But we ate it.”

 

“Yeah we did…” Daryl was so confused. “Do you want to talk about it… about your mom?”

 

Molly and Toby looked at each other and shook their heads and bent down to keep colouring. Daryl took some time finishing his coffee watching his kids and was completely confused. He wanted to ring Carol and talk to her to ask if this was normal or not. Carol should be able to tell him that.

 

He didn’t want to ring her at school so instead he took the twins outside and they went exploring the surrounding of Carol's place. He had wrapped them up in warm clothes to combat the cold. 

 

He stood at a bottom of a tree down the end of Carols big garden watching the twins attempt to try climb a big tree, they had made it a little way up and Daryl was hoping that he wasn’t going to have to climb up to rescue them down.

 

Carol had pulled into the drive and had she parked in the garage, he had half an eye on her walking down towards him and half on his kids. 

 

“How did it go?” Carol asked him when she got close enough to ask him.

 

Daryl shrugged, “They were fine… Toby wants to know if you are going to be his new mommy,” He meant it as a joke but the look that crossed Carols face made him regret sharing that bit of information.

 

“I mean… um.”

 

“What did you say?” Carol asked him.

 

“I said… I said we would talk about it later.” Daryl told her.

 

“Do you think… do you think we could talk about it after the kids go to bed.” Carol said. “For anything like that to happen… we need to talk.”

 

“I know… I wish we had five minutes without the kids.” Daryl said. 

 

“Well if they keep climbing that tree they won’t be able to get down and you might get your wish.” Carol nodded towards the twins who had climbed a considerable amount higher than they had been.

 

“Shit.” Daryl said. “Come down. We will go back to the house and warm up and have a bath.”

 

“I can’t get down.” Molly cried out.

 

Daryl sighed and pulled off his jacket and started to climb up the tree to get the kids down. Carol stood at the bottom of the tree wondering how he was so patient and calm about getting the little girl down and she was freaking out that the little girl might fall. Toby come down under his own speed and stood beside Carol waiting for his dad to get down.

  
In the end Daryl just climbed the rest of the way down one handed with Molly on his hip. Carol Carol held out her hands so he could pass her down the last little bit. Carol was thankful when everyone was safe on the ground. They took the twins back to the house to warm up and feed them dinner, bath them and get them to bed to spend some time together.


End file.
